THREE ABSENTEES

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1930, Page 12

THREE ABSENTEES

GENEVA LABOUR OFFICE. NEW ZEALAND’S ‘DISTINCTION.’ NCw Zealand has been a consistent absentee from the annual conferences of the International Labour Organisation of the League of Nations at Geneva, and the impression of the other memberStates is that the -Dominion shows a lack of interest, says Mr. E. J. Riches, the only New Zealander on the staff of the 1.L.0., who arrived this week at Auckland by the Niagara after three years’ absence. Among the 55 States which are members of the 1.L.0., New Zealand, Sau Domingo and Ethiopia (or Abyssinia) are the only ones that have not been represented at any of the conferences held since 1919. None of the conventions, numbering about 30, has been ratified by New Zealand, and in that respect this country is on a list of minor States, Mr. Riches says. It is regretted by numerous countries that the Dominion has shown no desire to assist in bringing labour conditions generally up to standard that exists here. The standard laid down in the conventions is in most cases somewhat below that which exists in New Zealand, and ratification of the conventions would not, therefore, involve any change here, Mr. Riches says, but it would spread the impression that the Dominion possesses good labour legislation. The 1929 convention was concerned solely with maritime questions, and Mr. Riches considers New. Zealand would hdve stood to benefit by urging that the standard of shipping employment in other countries be raised.